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History Quiz - Children in Victorian Times (Questions)

Children will be taught about what life was like in Britain for children at different times in history as part of their KS2 history studies.. This is the second of two quizzes on this topic and it looks specifically at everyday life for Victorian children in the 1800s.

Everyday life for Victorian children was much different than it is today. Being young in the 1800s was very tough, especially for those who were poor. Many early Victorian children had to work and did not go to school. In 1840 only around 20 percent of the children in London had any schooling at all. Later in the 1800s the amount of work children could do was restricted and eventually all children were sent to school.

Take this quiz and find out what you know about everyday life for children living in the Victorian era.

1. Who taught rich children at home?
[ ] Nanny
[ ] Governess
[ ] Teacher
[ ] Mum
2. In which year did the law pass that made all children go to school?
[ ] 1837
[ ] 1850
[ ] 1870
[ ] 1899
3. What did children learn to write on?
[ ] Desk
[ ] Paper
[ ] Wood
[ ] Slate
4. What would the teacher hit a child with if they misbehaved?
[ ] Slipper
[ ] Cane
[ ] Dunce's cap
[ ] Ruler
5. Which of these jobs were done by Victorian Children?
[ ] Trapper in a coal mine
[ ] Chimney sweep
[ ] Factory worker
[ ] All of these
6. Who campaigned to stop children working?
[ ] Queen Victoria
[ ] William Gladstone
[ ] Lord Shaftesbury
[ ] Florence Nightingale
7. Why were factories dangerous to work in?
[ ] Dangerous chemicals
[ ] The machines had no safety guards
[ ] The risk of explosions
[ ] The risk of flooding
8. How did the new laws help working children?
[ ] Stopped them working in mines and factories
[ ] Allowed them more toys
[ ] They got paid more money
[ ] They were allowed to go to parties
9. Where did most poor children play?
[ ] In the park
[ ] In nurseries
[ ] In the street
[ ] In playgrounds
10. Which of these was NOT a Victorian toy?
[ ] Train set
[ ] Doll’s house
[ ] Playstation
[ ] Rocking horse

 

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History Quiz - Children in Victorian Times (Answers)
1. Who taught rich children at home?
[ ] Nanny
[x] Governess
[ ] Teacher
[ ] Mum
A governess was not like the other servants in a household as she had an education. Because of this she usually ate separately from the other servants
2. In which year did the law pass that made all children go to school?
[ ] 1837
[ ] 1850
[x] 1870
[ ] 1899
After 1870 children between the ages of 5 and 13 had to go to school
3. What did children learn to write on?
[ ] Desk
[ ] Paper
[ ] Wood
[x] Slate
Slates were a cheap alternative to paper as they could be used again and again
4. What would the teacher hit a child with if they misbehaved?
[ ] Slipper
[x] Cane
[ ] Dunce's cap
[ ] Ruler
The cane was only banned in all UK schools in 2003!
5. Which of these jobs were done by Victorian Children?
[ ] Trapper in a coal mine
[ ] Chimney sweep
[ ] Factory worker
[x] All of these
Many children started work when they were 5, the age children start going to school today
6. Who campaigned to stop children working?
[ ] Queen Victoria
[ ] William Gladstone
[x] Lord Shaftesbury
[ ] Florence Nightingale
Lord Shaftesbury managed to get the number of hours children worked reduced
7. Why were factories dangerous to work in?
[ ] Dangerous chemicals
[x] The machines had no safety guards
[ ] The risk of explosions
[ ] The risk of flooding
Many children lost limbs or were killed by the machines
8. How did the new laws help working children?
[x] Stopped them working in mines and factories
[ ] Allowed them more toys
[ ] They got paid more money
[ ] They were allowed to go to parties
Minimum ages were put in place for some of the most dangerous jobs
9. Where did most poor children play?
[ ] In the park
[ ] In nurseries
[x] In the street
[ ] In playgrounds
Early Victorian children did not play much as they had to work long hours
10. Which of these was NOT a Victorian toy?
[ ] Train set
[ ] Doll’s house
[x] Playstation
[ ] Rocking horse
Only rich children were able to buy toys